2023 NBA Draft Preview, Part 2: Terquavion Smith, Kel’el Ware, and more

The Knicks are skidding a little right now. What better time to check in on some more prospects coming up in this year’s draft?

Welcome back to The Strickland’s early draft preview! If you missed Part 1, you can check it out here (and you should, it’s great info!).

Prospects are listed in no particular order; this ain’t a mock or a big board! Almost everyone on this list – and it is a long list, hence breaking it up into multiple parts – has a case to be a lottery guy in a normal, not-too-bad-but-not-too-great year. Which is kind of nuts.

Kel’el Ware
7-foot 
Center 
Oregon 
19 years old

Adam: An elite shot-blocker with an intriguing offensive skillset, Kel’el Ware is sure to hear his name called near the lottery. Although lacking the foot speed so highly touted in today’s game, Ware is fluid and nimble enough to run the floor in transition and switch onto guards if need be, a gifted vertical athlete who barely needs to load up before taking off to contest a shot and who has an elite second jump (he needs it — he jumps at everything).

In addition to the obvious value he provides as a vertical spacer and lob threat, Ware has the potential to become a somewhat reliable shooter, raising his ceiling as a play finisher. Oregon has used him in a lot of pick-and-pop action and he’s had some relative success so far. The concerns and next steps for him are mostly mental. Although it’s improved in college, his motor has been an issue for a while now. He’s shown some iffy processing and decision-making at times, but has also shown the capacity for making the correct pass in the short roll and under the basket. For any team in need of size and athleticism, Kel’el is a worthy pick – and if the shooting and ball skills come around, there’s no telling what his ceiling can be. 

Nikola Đurišić 
6-foot-8 
Wing 
KK Mega Basket 
18 years old

Prez: The latest NBA-bound Serbian, Đurišić is like a lotto wing prospect who was taken out of the oven 20 minutes early. He’s young, but has an NBA-wing body. He’s already not only a deadeye shooter but a capable shotmaker, with an advanced sense of pace and passing instinct, not to mention flair. He can run pick-and-rolls, create jumpers for himself with ease and hunt mismatches. 

So what’s the hold-up? Well, Đurišić is not one to create separation, elevate in traffic or lock down on defense. There’s a lot of good-yet-flawed wings in the NBA right now who can shoot the lights out, but those who aren’t gifted defenders have to be absolute deadeye shooters to pull their weight – think Saddiq Bey, Bojan and Bogdan Bogdanovic, Corey Kispert. That being said, 6-foot-8 dribble/pass/shoot guys don’t grow on trees, and any team should be happy to take a developmental bet on him, as he’s not plodding or frail; most teams won’t need to rely on him to create shots off the bounce. 

Brandon Miller
6-foot-9 
Forward 
Alabama 
20 years old

Tyrese: Brandon Miller may be the single most controversial prospect in this year’s cycle. He’s an absolutely elite, all-world level shooter the second he steps foot on an NBA court (in my opinion; that may be a bit rich for some) who for some reason gets to the line at a respectable clip despite a shaky handle, and flashes some legitimate playmaking chops. And is a solid defender to boot. DID I FORGET TO MENTION HE’S 6-FOOT-9?

Okay, now that I’ve that I’ve sold you on why he’d go No. 1 in every draft that didn’t have a generational prospect at the forefront of it, what exactly is the hangup? Well, Miller’s finishing and 2-point efficiency in general is horrendous, which places questions on how high his ceiling can be. If he’s just a tall shooter? The league has an ever-growing number of those guys; they aren’t as rare as in 2015 when the Knicks drafted He-Who-Shall-Not-Be-Referred-To (Or-Stay-Healthy). His finishing and the development of his ancillary skills will be the major developments to watch.

Terquavion Smith
6-foot-3
Guard 
N.C. State 
19 years old

Prez: One of the top projected returning NCAA players, Terq is an absolutely electric marksman of a guard. It is tough out there for shorter guards trying to break into the lottery, but Terq brings an absolutely scorching 3-point rate to the table. He takes every kind of three you can imagine, and makes lots of them. He also is known to get up for a poster dunk when he does venture into the paint. 

Doubt around his NBA skillset as a freshmen focused on his very slight frame, plus whether he has the passing chops to be a primary or even secondary playmaker. We’ve seen a few shorter scoring guards drop in the draft only to become perennial scene-stealers in the NBA lately (Immanuel Quickley, Tyrese Maxey and Jordan Poole come to mind). We’ve also seen some shorter scoring guards flop completely, to be fair (Hi, Coby White). 

Smith has the aggression and scoring chops. The question is, can he hold up on defense and showcase enough passing to impress NBA teams who want more than simply shot making from their combo guard if they picked him?

Jordan Walsh
6-foot-7  
Wing 
Arkansas 
19 years old

Mo: Standing at 6-foot-7 with a 7-foot-3 wingspan, Jordan Walsh is one of the better defensive prospects in this class, able to defend anyone you ask him to on-ball while having the tools and instincts to be a ++ event generator off it; he can slide his feet with guards with some fantastic technique, fight through screens, has elite closeouts (something we all know the Knicks could use more of) and can also punch above his weight in the post. With an intriguing offensive skillset, you can see the vision of him becoming an excellent connective role player. So what's the hold up on Walsh becoming a guaranteed lottery pick, outside of this being an insane class?

While the offensive skillset is intriguing, nothing is polished. The jumper looks clean, but isn't consistent. The aggression is not always there attacking closeouts or shooting open looks, which leads to some awkward decision-making. Some of Miller’s drives look good, but can be a bit erratic. The secondary playmaking flashes are there, but it's an adventure at times. With his floor being a great defensive player but meh offensively, I can see him dropping into the late teens or early twenties.

Gradey Dick
6-foot-7 
Wing 
Kansas
19 years old

 Mo: Imagine if the best shooter in the draft is all of 6-foot-7, can get his shot off over anyone with his quick, high release, and is very comfortable shooting in a multitude of ways, whether spotting up, off movement, or after a one- or two-dribble pull-up in transition. Imagine if he is also a very smart and willing mover off the ball who can attack closeouts and make quick decisions. You don't have to imagine, because this is the pitch for Kansas freshman wing Gradey Dick, who is shooting a ridiculous 46% on 11.4 3PA/100 on a shot diet that is not exactly the easiest. He has elite shot prep and footwork, which allows everything else to become much cleaner. So what is stopping Gradey Dick from becoming a guaranteed lottery pick — even with this insane class?

Well, he isn't a great athlete, which hurts his creator upside, and arguably hurts him more on the defensive side of the ball. While he is not great and doesn't have much upside on that end, he gives effort and can be in the right spots, but because he isn't a great lateral mover, he has to be there early. It also means he can't stay in front of the ball. He does some good things on the defensive end when he uses his size and length to deny and deflect passes, but can get too aggressive doing that. Even with those negatives, a 6-foot-7, 6-foot-8 elite shooter who isn't just a shooter puts Gradey Dick on a higher floor than most.

Max Lewis
6-foot-7 
Wing 
Pepperdine 
20 years old

Adam: A 6-foot-7 wing with a great wingspan who can shoot, pass, dribble, and defend. How can you go wrong? One of, if not the best return players in the class, Max Lewis has come back to Pepperdine with a vengeance after his freshman season was cut short due to injury. According to barttorvik.com, Max was the only freshman since at least 2008 to shoot 36% on 12 3PA/100 while boasting a 3% steal and block percentage. And this season, to add to his traditional 3-and-D skillset, he’s taken a step forward with his playmaking, consistently making the right pass out of drives and becoming a more reliable connector. He’s also flashed some promise off the dribble, making up for his somewhat loose handle with his explosiveness and a wide array of stepbacks. So what’s the catch? 

For one, although this has improved as a sophomore, his shot volume at the rim is low. Concerningly low. For someone with his athleticism and projection, who’ll need to attack closeouts and hold advantages at the next level, he needs to be more aggressive attacking the basket. Also, despite his excellence as a defensive playmaker, he lacks polish on that end of the ball. His footwork while guarding out on the perimeter is sloppy, and while he’s able to make up for this with his insane ground coverage, it simply won’t cut it in the league. Off the ball, his activity levels are promising, but he often finds himself ball-watching and getting beat backdoor. Lewis is a tantalizing wing bet with all the tools he needs to succeed, but can he put it all together?

Taylor Hendricks
6-foot-9
Forward
Central Florida
19 years old

Prez: Can I interest you in a fast-rising lotto sleeper? Hendricks came to UCF as a 4-star recruit, the highest-ever for UCF, and leads the team in minutes as a freshman. He’s turning heads thanks to UCF’s early success and some eye-popping individual advanced impact metrics, and it doesn’t take much to see why: he’s tall, with long arms and quick feet, he can get above the rim with ease both for dunks and blocks, and he’s currently shooting well over 40% from deep on volume and a variety of shots. He’s a smooth operator, and the college game looks easy at times for him. 

Variety is the name of the game for Hendricks. UCF uses him as a center, letting him roam on the perimeter to defend ball handlers and throwing him in the middle of opposing zone defenses. They also let him gamble quite a bit. On offense, Hendricks shoots threes off movement and off the dribble. Time till well if he maintains this incredible two-way versatility; if he does, his star will continue to rise.